Engineering & Technology Chemical Engineering

The 12th Starch Value Chain ASIA conference was held in Vientiane, at Crowne Plaza Hotel, from February 27 to 29, 2024. The conference encompassed four key themes: Asia’s starch markets, industrial and food-grade tapioca starch in Laos with expansion plans, sustainable climate-smart agri-technology for rice and cassava cultivation, and challenges for future growth in Asia's biogas-to-energy sector.

An international multidisciplinary team of researchers from Singapore, India, Malaysia and Indonesia are breaking boundaries in 3D Printing. They have developed Coir Fiber Polymer Composites with enhanced strength, presenting a new and sustainable way for applications in food and medical packaging.

In a study recently published in the journal SMALL, a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering nanotechnology, published by Wiley-WCH, Germany, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Japan, collaborating with Professor Sarikaya, Seattle, USA, used frequency modulated atomic force microscopy to reveal the molecular architecture of genetically designed and point mutated peptides and their self-organizations each forming single-molecule thick, distinct biological crystals on atomically flat graphite and MoS2 surfaces, offering a potential platform for hybrid technologies such as bioelectronics, biosensors, and protein arrays.

Researchers from Thailand have pioneered the conversion of waste HDPE milk bottles into high-stiffness composites, utilizing PALF reinforcement for a 162% increase in flexural strength and 204% in modulus. This eco-friendly upcycling boosts mechanical properties while sequestering carbon, presenting a promising path for sustainable materials.

Research by Assistant Professor Edison Ang Huixiang and his team from National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University Singapore

A research team at Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a new simulation method that accurately predicts powder mixing using AI, and has succeeded in increasing calculation speed by approximately 350 times while maintaining the same level of accuracy as conventional methods. This method is expected to not only pave the way for more efficient and precise powder mixing processes but also open up new possibilities for industries seeking to enhance product quality and streamline production.

Associate Professor Taweechai Amornsakchai and his team of international researchers have developed novel bio-degradable rigid foams derived from pineapple waste, showcasing impressive properties. Starch and cellulosic materials are key components of the foams, which are processed via microwave gel formation and filler blending. The foams feature high strength, and rapid biodegradation, with potential for practical use from packaging, to construction, automotive, and aerospace.

In a study recently published in the journal Nanoscale, researchers from Kanazawa University and AGC Inc. use three-dimensional atomic force microscopy to study the hydrated form and structure of commonly occurring oxide crystals.

Dr. Zhang Yi, the lead scientist, and his team of researchers from Canada, Singapore, the UK, have successfully completed a study, comparing the efficiency of various bioreactors in producing Raspberry Ketone through Submerged Fermentation. This research marks the first time such a study has been conducted.

A new method for connecting neurons in neuromorphic wetware has been developed by researchers from Osaka University and Hokkaido University. The wetware comprises conductive polymer wires grown in a three-dimensional configuration, done by applying square-wave voltage to electrodes submerged in a precursor solution. The voltage can modify wire conductance, allowing the network to be trained. This fabricated network is able to perform unsupervised Hebbian learning and spike-based learning.

A team of researchers from universities in Thailand and Malaysia have collaborated to develop a unique kind of bioplastic sheet that is good for the environment and can decompose naturally. They made this bioplastic sheet using a byproduct of the bromelain industry which used the leftover pineapple stems from agricultural waste. This new type of bioplastic sheet has the potential to be used as single-use packaging material, as an alternative to the use of harmful plastic sheet, contributing to a more sustainable way of doing business and promoting a circular economy.

Scientists from Thailand, France and Singapore have conducted groundbreaking research using both tiny cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and long pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) to create stronger materials. They added varying amounts of CNF to epoxy and found that 1% CNF greatly increased impact strength. PALF-epoxy composites showed significant flexibility and strength improvements. Combining CNF and PALF resulted in a remarkable increase in impact strength. The findings could revolutionize stronger material development.

- DGIST Professor Hongki Kang’s team developed technology for selective photothermal layer formation and a transparent electrode based on a fine inkjet printing solution process. - This has potential to efficiently measure various body signals through a flexible fine electrode array customized for patients. - The research results are published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

We sat down with Dr. Ji Ha Lee to get to know her and her work on developing recyclable and degradable gels that can replace plastics as well as nanogels that can help with targeted drug delivery.

An Osaka Metropolitan University joint research group has discovered that near-infrared absorbing dyes, which had previously been considered to have closed-shell electronic structures, have an intermediate electronic structure, between closed- and open-shell structures. They also found that as the wavelength of near-infrared light that can be absorbed becomes longer the contribution of open-shell forms increases within the dye. These newly discovered characteristics are expected to be utilized to develop new near-infrared absorbing dyes that can absorb longer wavelength near-infrared light.

Scientists in Singapore converted fruit waste into a solar absorber called Mxene to develop an efficient and sustainable water desalination process.

An international interdisciplinary team of researchers hailed from India, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand has successfully developed a method of using chitosan from terrestrial insects to manufacture eco‐friendly polymer composite parts using the 3D printing method.

In a study recently published in the journal ACS Nano, published by American Chemical Society, researchers from Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan, collaborating with University of Washington, Seattle, USA, used frequency modulated atomic force microscopy to reveal the molecular architecture of a genetically designed peptide and its self-organization that forms single-molecule thick crystals on atomically flat graphite surfaces, that offer a potential platform for hybrid technologies such as bioelectronics, biosensors, and protein arrays.

Scientists from Oil Crops Research Institute (OCRI) of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Anhui Agricultural University (Anhui, China), Newcastle University in Singapore, and Huizhou Comvikin Biotechnology Co., Ltd (Guangdong, China) have developed a green and efficient approach to synthesize highly liposoluble and antioxidant L-ascorbyl esters by immobilized lipases.

Researchers at The University of Tokyo develop a simple but effective method of bonding polymers with galvanized steel, a material ubiquitous in the automobile industry, to cheaply and easily create a lightweight and durable product.

Researchers from Osaka University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept for a novel molecular hydrogen production method that bypasses the need for expensive purification steps. They developed a system where hydrogen is separated and stored in liquid organic hydrogen carriers by catalysis of triaryl boranes in one seamless process. The results of this work will help facilitate the transition to a hydrogen-based economy that is necessary for a more sustainable future.

Chemists in Japan, Canada and Europe have uncovered flaws in the surface structure of cellulose nanocrystals—an important step toward deconstructing cellulose to produce renewable nano-materials relevant to biochemical products, energy solutions, and biofuels.

Scientists from The University of Tokyo formulated nonlinear, nonequilibrium energy dissipation relationships using methods from geometry to better understand the kinetics of irreversible chemical processes

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Nano the development of a nanoparticle that acts as a heater and a thermometer. Inserting the nanoparticle in living cells results in a heat spot that, by switching it on and off, enables the controlled modulation of local cellular activities.

A thermoelectric metal oxide film with a thermoelectric figure of merit of ~0.55 at 600°C has been discovered, opening new avenues towards the widespread use of thermoelectric converters.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences a responsive molecular system that, through chemical reactions, inverses its chirality before becoming racemic.

A Japanese research team created a new way to sort living cells suspended in fluid using an all-in-one operation in a lab-on-chip that required only 30 minutes for the entire separation process.

In a recent study published in the journal ACS Catalysis researchers from Kanazawa University describe novel scanning electrochemical cell microscopy measurements to determine sites of photoelectrochemical activity in titanium dioxide nanotubes.

A collaborative project between the Osaka City University Graduate Schools of Medicine and BioMedical Engineering Center (BMEC) revealed new bone formation in critical bone defects of animal model with an exposure to a pencil-type non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma at surgery.

When liquid meets gas, a unique zone forms. Variable by nature, molecules can cross from one state to another, combining in unique ways to either desirable or unwanted ends. From heat escaping a mug of coffee to increasing molecular concentrations in chemical solutions, gas-liquid interfaces are ubiquitous across nature and engineering. But a lack of tools capable of precisely controlling such gas-liquid interfaces limit their applications — until now.